The Pursuit of Happiness (or Death)
by ShermanIronlock
Summary: Because they're not so different, as Edward and Bella find. Or rather, as Edward, the computer geek, finds as he pursues rich, famous, popular Bella. Oh dear.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there. This is Aliya Isan and Zephyranth -insertlastnamehere- with our first co-authored fanfiction. We do actually have real accounts but we are not mentioning them... because this is a new fandom that we venture into. **

**Plus, we were kind of fighting over whose account to post this on.**

**'Cuz we're just that awesome. Yeah. **

**So anyway, on with the story. It's AU, no vampires/werewolves/imprinting/memory-showing/super-speed/yougettheimageright? We're going to switch authoring with the perspectives of Bella and Edward. Yep. Just so you know.**

**Disclaimer: We do not own 99% of this. Yeah, a lot of the plot isn't ours either. **

* * *

Until last summer came, my existence was one of questionable worth and blissful insignificance. I devoted my endless days to the pursuit of happiness, namely through video games and the Internet. I was happy, then. I was safe.

Sort of. I dunno. I've never really been in danger. I'm not important enough to have enemies. I'm just a computer nerd.

But when last summer came, my existence became more substantial somehow. Instead of pursuing happiness, I now pursued certain death.

In the form of a certain girl named Bella Swan.

* * *

I live in a town called Forks. It's a gloomy place, with no shortage of terrible weather, and I had longed to escape from it many times in the past years. It wasn't as if my family couldn't afford it - my father had collected a tidy sum, after being a doctor for so long, but it held some some sort of significance for them. They seemed reluctant somehow to move away from it and into a sunnier place, near La Push, for instance. I couldn't figure out why - it wasn't as if there was some sort of pact forbidding us from moving into some secret enemy's territory that included La Push.

It was summer break. I was crouching behind my laptop in my room, curtains closed, the screen casting a harsh glow over my face as I peered down at the gory video game I had found maybe an hour before. This was my usual routine. My parents, Carlisle and Esme, hadn't questioned it, since it didn't involve my bothering anyone. When something kept me from bothering people (usually them) they did all they could to keep me interested in that something.

However, Esme seemed to have underwent a most unwelcome change of mind. I was contemplating whether I should switch to the AK-47 and abandon my pathetic pistol, even though it was only the one scout I had to take out, when my bedroom door creaked open. My head jerked up in surprise.

Esme's willowy form stood in the doorway, peering in as though my room held some sort of creature from the deepest pits of hell. Which pretty much summed up a video gamer that was interrupted from his quest to find the ultimate time-wasting game.

"Is there something you desire?" I asked her shortly. I felt a twinge of regret when my words brought on a slumping of her shoulders, but I pushed it away. Couldn't she see the importance of my virtual adventuring? This thought only made me glare at her harder.

Apparently not. "There is, actually," she said, straightening suddenly, as though my frosty gaze had strengthened her. "Edward, it's 2 am in the morning. You have school tomorrow."

Oh. That explained why she was in her pajamas. And, now that I thought about it, also why she looked so pissed. I hadn't noticed this before.

And - wait, _school?_

"What do you mean, school? It's summer vacation. It's August 26."

"Edward, it's August 29. Or it was. Now it's the 30th. But anyway, you've been playing video games for three days straight. You fell asleep in the middle right over your computer and I had to force feed you a couple of times just to make sure you didn't keel over from carbon monoxide intake." Now she sounded really pissed. I wondered how I had missed it before.

"Well, thanks, at any rate." I glanced at my laptop - apparently Esme had also plugged it in for me. Otherwise HP PCs had terrible battery lives while off the wire (that sounds strangely like drugs). I shut it reluctantly and turned my full attention to her. "You were a big help."

She shifted her weight onto her right leg, yawning widely. "You're welcome, but don't think I'm letting you do that again. You need to _do _things, Edward - it's not healthy, this addiction of yours to computer games. You need to live, you know. Be responsive to the enviroment around you, even if it's just talking to people, _please._"

I scowled internally. I had liked it better when my parents had simply let me do my thing, but it was nice to know that they cared, I guess. I simply nodded. "I'll try, I suppose. G'night, Esme."

She shut the door, relief written all over her face. I heard her footsteps echoing down the hallway.

I was sitting alone on my bed in the darkness. Usually, I would've just opened my computer again, but today I felt some sort of inclination to sleep. I took my glasses off and slipped beneath the covers, waiting for sleep to come.

I'm glad I did.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have met her.

* * *

The next morning, I narrowly avoided strangling my sister. Alice was just so _chipper _in the morning, so awake and alert, that I had to restrain myself from killing her almost every time I laid eyes on her. I often had to control maniacal impulses to end her life and cheerful tirade on my gloomy existence.

We were sitting at the breakfast table, all of my adopted family gathered around. We Cullens keep to ourselves, mostly – we have to, in order to avoid questions. It was never easy for Alice, though, who was a natural chatterbox, much to my chagrin. She had to make do with driving all of us mad.

"…And then, she was like, 'Wait, that doesn't make any sense,' and her dress was all off, like, _who wears hot pink with yellow? _So, I was like, 'Well, duh, nothing makes sense to you,' but I didn't _say _that obviously, and like, she was gave me this look and just walked away, and now I don't really know what to, like, _say _to her, you know? It's giving me a splitting headache!"

Esme was standing at the head of the table, eyes closed and a hand to her forehead, looking weary. She had the other hand on the back of Carlisle's chair. At Alice's last remark, she lifted her head to eye her dubiously, as if to say, _'You're _the one getting a headache?'

Carlisle was leaning onto his elbow, gazing at Alice as though he had never seen anything like her, his perfect eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. He was smiling this weirdly light, ambiguous smile, but it was almost dreamy, like he didn't know he was doing it. He looked vaguely out of his depth.

Then again, almost everyone was, dealing with Alice.

Jasper sat next to Alice, silently dealing with the fact that he was slowly going deaf in one ear. He had been for years, but I guess the fact was really hitting him home in the few recent weeks. Alice had been witness to some sort of accident involving a bear and a hiker - I wasn't informed of the details, as I had been shut up in my room at the time - and so apparently she was supposed to be 'traumatized'. She had been put under house arrest by the well-meaning doctor that everyone in the household now dreamed of murdering. Simply put, a bored Alice at home is motive to kill - and not her motive, by the way.

Jasper was Alice's favorite in the house - mostly because he was rather silent and she liked silent people, as they let her talk without interruption. Therefore, he had endured much of the havoc and destruction Alice had left in her rampant path of boredom for the last three weeks, though all of us had had our due share. I had oftentimes caught him gazing at Alice with a wistful expression on his face, as though he wanted to see what she would do if he were to speak and interrupt her many tirades.

Now, while Alice talked on about so-and-so's dress choice, I could see signs of him cracking. His usually resigned countenance was starting to show signs of weariness, and his arms were tensed, which meant there was a 50% chance that he was clenching his fists underneath the table.

Rosalie and Emmett had left after about 15 minutes of this incessant yackering, partly because they had jobs to go to, but mostly because they were wimps when it came to dealing with Alice. They were probably packing groceries together, giggling about the hell the rest of us had to go through. Not that they would be much help if they had been there. But still.

I could see that Jasper wouldn't be doing anything, given his submissive persona, and my parents had a sort of "if you can't beat 'em, leave 'em alone" sort of philosophy with their kids. It had gone on too long, though. I had to shut her up somehow.

I grit my teeth and went for it. "Alice?"

She stopped mid-tirade and looked at me, shocked. No one had ever _dared _interrupt her before, not if they wanted their heads bitten off.

Esme closed her eyes, and I could almost _hear _her - _Edward, you're choosing the worst time to be responsive to your enviroment._ "What?" she said, slightly annoyed now.

"Could you shut up?"

This was greeted with silence. Not even a half-hearted reprimand from Esme for using "bad language" (as if we were four years old). Just blessed, calm silence, which was all I'd really asked for.

So this was all it took. Just interrupt her when she least expected, and she'd go quiet like you'd taken out her batteries or something. Huh.

"_Thank you. _Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get to school."

I grabbed my backpack and ran out the door to my car before any of them could react.

Little did I know that it was the best thing I could've done to get to school early.


	2. Chapter 2

**Greetings, people of earth! This is the next installment of our story. I hope its acceptable. Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: We don't own anything you recognize.**

* * *

Before last summer, my life was awesome. I was the captain of the soccer team and the most popular girl at Forks High School. My life was devoted entirely to shopping and soccer. I was happy and carefree.

I had the most perfect life, ever. My family was rich, so I could shop as much as I wanted. My parents didn't care too much about grades, so I was allowed to get any passing grade, which I would have done anyway to stay on the soccer team. Nothing could go wrong, right?

Wrong.

This year, a guy named Edward Cullen is in my biology class. And he likes me. A lot. Now normally, this would be great, except he's kind of creepy. And he won't take no for an answer.

Now I have an insane, madly-in-love, creepy stalker. Fun.

* * *

"Okay, red or blue?" one of my best friends, Taylor, asked, holding up two shirts.

"Well, red brings out your lips, but blue highlights your eyes… blue. Most definitely blue." I decided.

Taylor squealed. "I know right! The blue is so gorgeous!"

I smiled. "Totally. Okay, gold or silver?" I asked, holding the two sweaters up.

Taylor crinkled her nose as she looked them over. "Both."

"Tay, you know I can't wear two sweaters."

Taylor's face colored. "I know that, silly. I meant get both."

I shrugged and added the sweaters to the rapidly growing pile of stuff.

"You're gonna be the prettiest girl in school, Bell!" Tay squealed.

I laughed. "Come one, you flatter me."I glanced at my watch. "Hey, Tay, it's getting a little late. We should get home, or Dad's gonna limit my card. He might even give me a curfew!" Charlie wouldn't do that, not really. I just say so because shopping will go on forever if I don't. Which wouldn't really be too bad, but Taylor once got us locked inside a mall because she stayed too long.

"Not a curfew!" Taylor gasped. "C'mon, Bell, let's get you home. Go!"

"Tay, I'm the one that drives!" I laughed as Taylor pushed me to the cashier.

I smiled and handed the guy my credit card. His eyes widened at the name on the card.

"H-hello Ms. Swan," he stuttered. He then rang us up, stuffed that clothes in a bag, and wished us a good day.

Taylor giggled as we walked out of the store. "Who says good day?"

I smiled as we walked up to my Ferrari F430 Spider. "I know right?" I asked, unlocking the door. "That guy is like, archaic. Get in."

* * *

"The sunset is nice today." Taylor commented, staring out the window.

I glanced at it. "Yeah, it's not bad. Really… Colorful. Hey, this is your house."

Taylor shook her head a bit. "Yeah. I'm gonna go now." She smiled cheerfully. "I'll see you in a week, when school starts, 'kay Bell?"

"Yeah, sounds cool. See you later!"

I pulled up to the Swan family mansion, having dropped Taylor off at her house five minutes ago. I frowned. When had it gotten so dark? The sun was setting a few minutes ago.

Oh well. I didn't crash or get pulled over or anything.

I parked the car in the spacious driveway and stepped out, grabbing my bags. I struggled for a minute, trying to open the door with my overloaded hands and arms, but I got it eventually.

"I'm home!" I yelled.

"Great! You're just in time for dinner!" One of my dad's closest colleagues, Janelle, yelled back.

I groaned as I made my way to the kitchen, dropping the bags off at the foot of the staircase. Dinners with Charlie and Janelle were always awkward.

Tonight's dinner: spaghetti with meatballs. Oh joy.

I could hear the conversation as I walked to the kitchen.

"So, do you have any ideas as to new designs or characters for Gore of the Worlds, II?" Father asked. "After all, this dinner is… _purely _business."

"But of course, Mr. Swan. What else would it be?"

Dad was laughing quietly as I walked in. He twirled a few strands of spaghetti on his fork and ate. "Wow! Janelle, this is great."

Janelle laughed. "Are you saying my cooking is usually bad, Charlie?"

"Of course not," he purred. "It's always perfect, just like you."

"Charlie, you flatterer!" Janelle smiled. "I'm going to use the restroom. I'll be back!" She stood and walked out of the room.

"Hello, Bella." My father said, putting his fork down. "How was your day?"

"Great," I replied tersely, spearing a meatball.

"Oh. Well, um, that's good." He stuttered, picking up his fork, twirling it in his spaghetti and coming up with nothing. He blushed crimson and quickly stuffed a meatball in his mouth.

There was a minute of awkward silence as we both ate. In silence.

There was the sound of the toilet flushing, and Janelle walked back, heels clicking. She quickly reclaimed her place next to Father.

"Why, Janelle!" Father exclaimed. "Your shirt collar is sticking up." He smiled and began folding it down, brushing her neck every so often.

"And you, Charlie, have spaghetti sauce on your mouth. Here, let me help." When she showed no sign of reaching for a napkin, I stood up.

"I'm full. I'm gonna go to my room now," I stated, trying to avoid any and all eye contact with Charlie.

I grabbed the bags and made my way to my room. At least Dinners with Dad were over for the next few months.

* * *

The next few days were kind of a blur. Wake up, change, eat breakfast, hang out with friends, come home, eat dinner, and go to bed.

Nothing really noteworthy ever happened just before school started. I bought some more makeup, and tried to avoid my father and Janelle as best as I could. I think I camped out in the mall a few times. Just a few. Without Taylor.

Finally, the first day of school came. At five thirty I woke up, put on a black shirt, the silver sweater and a pair of white jeans, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and was out the door by six.

The drive to school was uneventful. No traffic, no car crashes, just a dead squirrel on the road. It wasn't even bloody or anything gross like that.

I got to school and parked my car in my space. Technically, it's not mine, but hey, popular girl. If I like it, I claim it, and it's mine.

I walked into school and tried to ignore all the guys staring at me. Not unusual.

First period of the day: biology. That wasn't too bad. I actually really like science. The problem is, none of my friends had biology. And yes, I checked. Don't judge me.

As I walked into the classroom, I made a beeline for the first empty desk I saw. I like attention, don't get me wrong, but I really don't need to sit next to leering guys or nerd girls. That's just so not my style.

I was getting my books out when suddenly, a sort of hush fell over the classroom. I looked up, and sitting next to me, was a guy.

He had the pastiest skin I've ever seen. It was almost blinding. His hair was all spiked up, so he was either trying to be cool, emo, or was just plain weird. Probably a combination of all three. He also had the biggest bags I've ever seen under his eyes.

"Hi there." I said. "Any particular reason you chose to sit here?"

He glanced up, golden eyes bleary. "Huh? Uh… It was… um…It was the first empty seat I saw."

I rolled my eyes. "You could have at least done the common courtesy of asking before you sat down."

"Sorry," he muttered, not looking up from his… whatever he was playing on. "So… uh… what's your name?"

"Bella. Bella Swan." I replied, cracking open my book.

His head jerked up almost faster than humanly possible. It was kind of weird. "Swan? As in, Charlie Swan?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing. He just, uh, made one of my favorite video games."

I sighed. Another nerd. A pasty nerd without glasses, braces, or acne.

"Hello, class," the teacher said, strolling in. "I'm Dr. Banner, your biology teacher. I hope you like where you're sitting, because these are going to be your seats for the rest of the semester."

Oh no.


End file.
